#Poetry ‘Three Sanctuaries’ by Fiza Pathan

I hear the church bells ringing a heavenly tune
to the altar of the infinite majesty.
The bells remind me of my God
whose message I have gladly kept to myself
within the shelter of my bosom.

The maulvi calls out to the people to come to pray
the minaret heralds his cry
even to the downtrodden in spirit.
The maulvi’s voice sings to my soul
as I walk past the mosque of marble
white as a snow-white swan.

I swoon in ecstasy
as I walk along my path to the temple
to ring its holy chimes and taste of the heavenly prasad.

Church, Mosque, Temple
three residences of just one God
the God of my life and the one I am enamoured by
whose form I know nothing about.

Three sanctuaries of heavenly food for thought are there
where my true love holds the fortress
against the evils of the world.

I am the poet of my creator who loves my verses truly
just the way an eaglet is loved by the mother eagle.

Sweet thoughts pass my mind
as the church bells continue to ring.

Sages far and wide
come to these sanctuaries of the unnameable
chanting to the people their long-lost song of love.

Pandora’s box has been opened
and there are evil forces at work
to threaten these holy homes of the heavenly angels –
yet there from their ashes arises
hope like a butterfly
colouring the dark world with hues of love.

Church bells
Mosque minarets
Temple chimes
are the sounds which puts a nymph to sleep –
the nymph of the exalted ones from afar
who guide the earth on its course around its destiny.

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